Unemployment hits five-year low, but jobs fall short

At 7.2%, September's unemployment figures were at a five-year low, but job growth came in lower than expected at 148,000.

The amount of long-term unemployed (27 weeks or more) was virtually the same at 4.1 million and made up 36.9% of unemployed Americans, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which had experienced a 16-day delay in releasing its figures due to the government shutdown.

Those marginally attached to the workforce (2.3 million, compared with last year's 2.5 million) were not counted as unemployed because they had not searched for work in the four weeks preceding the survey.

In the construction sector, 20,000 jobs were added in September after minimal movement over the past six months. Manufacturing showed little change.

October's jobs report is now scheduled to be released Nov. 8 at 8:30 a.m., as opposed to its original release date of Nov. 1.